Make Sure You Don't Make This Mistake When Writing Volunteer Job Descriptions

Too Much Detail

Here’s an example of a preschool Sunday School teacher job description that is way too detailed:

Specific Responsibilities:

During the week

• Make a list of the children in your class and pray specifically by name for each child. Also, pray specifically for the Sunday School ministry.
• Prepare for the lesson you will be teaching on Sunday by following these steps:
• Find the correct date on the schedule you will be given and the matching lesson number from the curriculum you will be given.
• Once you have found the lesson you will be teaching, read over the Bible story it is based in your Bible early in the week and make sure you understand it yourself.
• Look at the Bible point early in the week.
• Read through the whole lesson.
• Choose the activities you will use during the lesson (hook, games, crafts, etc)
• Make sure you have everything you need. If there are supplies needed that weren’t supplied with your curriculum, they may be in the supply cupboards. Check the inventory list.
• Be in contact with your team to make sure everyone knows what their responsibilities are on Sunday morning.
• You are responsible for finding a replacement for any weeks you will be absent. Contact the ministry leader at least one week in advance if you are unable to find a replacement for your absence (or as early as possible in the case of illness).

Sunday Morning

• Arrive at the church at least 15 minutes before the class starts in order to give yourself time to prepare your room and meet with your team.
• Pray with your team, including your class’s prayer partner, before the children arrive.
• Note the attendance of each child as they arrive by putting a sticker by their name under the correct date on the attendance chart. Make sure the child have the appropriate identification for pick-up after the service.
• Teach the Bible lesson in a creative way so that children will learn and grow in their faith.
• Prepare and serve the snack that will be provided.
• Stay in the classroom at all times when children are under your supervision. Never leave children unattended in the classroom.
• Take children to the bathroom according to the Children’s Ministry policies and procedures.
• Have a fantastic time getting to know the kids in your class, and teaching them about loving God and loving people. Sunday School is a fun ministry. Smile and don’t be afraid to laugh!
• Report damaged toys/equipment to the Ministry Leader.
• Report any classroom supplies that are needed to the Ministry Leader (pencils, markers, glue, etc.).
• Wear your identification name tag whenever you teach Sunday School.
• Leave room clean, neat, and in good condition after teaching.

Too Little Detail

Here is an example of a job description for a preschool Sunday School teacher that is way to general:

Specific Responsibilities:

• Prepare and teach Bible lessons for the preschool class.

Find the Balance

The first example had far too much detail for a job description. The second example had hardly any detail at all. When writing responsibilities for a job description, include enough detail so that the potential volunteer has as accurate understanding of the responsibilities of a specific role. It is not necessary to include every single detail of the responsibilities, nor is it necessary to include personal preferences for accomplishing those responsibilities.

Here are some tips for writing responsibilities for Children’s Ministry Volunteer Job Descriptions:

If it’s expected, include it – If something is expected of a volunteer for a specific role, include it in the job description. For example: 

• If a volunteer is expected to arrive at a specific time, include it in the job description.
• If a volunteer is expected to take attendance on a regular basis, include that responsibility in the job description.

 

Include enough information to be clear about responsibilities without going into unnecessary detail. 

• If a volunteer is responsible for teaching the lesson each week, say so without going into detail about how they are to prepare and teach the lesson (save that for training sessions).

 

Differentiate between the responsibilities of volunteers and good ideas for volunteers.

• In the above example, one of the responsibilities of the preschool teacher is to prepare for the lesson during the week. A good idea for teachers is to prepare early in the week. So, the job description only needs to state that the volunteer is expected to spend some time preparing for the lesson they will teach.

 

Leave space for individual personalities.

• Responsibilities for volunteers are constant; how each individual volunteer handles those responsibilities is a matter of personality. Don’t make the responsibilities in a job description so specific that individual personalities and creativity is stifled.

Job descriptions are such an important tool for Children’s Ministry leaders and helpful resource for volunteers. When writing job description responsibilities, be specific, clear, and brief.